Alien Veggies
Though you can’t tell by the weather, we’re on the winter side of autumn, and the farmers’ markets are showing the full bounty of autumnal harvests—and I’m not just talking about apples and pumpkins.

You’ll be seeing some weird stuff if you wander around your local farmers markets. Stuff like long neck pumpkins; bright lights chard, and kohlrabi will be laid out in a rainbow of vegetables (if you’re early and the stands aren’t picked over). These unique vegetables make for some fun eating, especially if you have kids or husbands who are loath to branch out from Boboli.

Cauliflower and Broccoli are in especially high supply this time of year, and will be for a while, since they’re resistant to cold weather. In addition to your regular varieties, you’ll stumble across the likes of purple broccoli, cheddar cauliflower, and Romanesque—a cauliflower that is often mistaken for a type of broccoli. These vegetable freak shows elicit questions like “what the hell is that?” and “can you eat that?” from shoppers, so stop and listen for such a chorus if you can’t find them.

Cheddar Cauliflower, an heirloom variety that looks like it’s been dipped in the cheese powder from Kraft Mac & Cheese, is a great alternative to the regular snowball version. Though it doesn’t taste much different, the orange varieties are a little higher in Vitamin A which the body uses to boost immunity. I recommend steaming it in your favorite Oktoberfest beer, or roasting it in the oven with a little garlic.

Purple Broccoli is merely a different version of regular broccoli. It’s been cultivated to bring out the purple color that is in all broccoli, so it tastes exactly the same. Put it alongside some orange cauliflower on a plate for a nice presentation.

The weirdest of all is Romanesque cauliflower (pictured). Spiky and a bright chartreuse, Romanesque is also an heirloom cauliflower, though it looks like it’s the product of a farm near Chernobyl. All six of you who are into fractals, this veggie’s for you. One shopper at Eastern Market called it the “Fibbonaci” vegetable. It makes a great gift to you favorite math geek! If you plan on eating it, you’ll find it intensely flavorful, with a much nuttier flavor than regular cauliflower. I steam it for about 12 minutes, then dress it with a little Parmesan or piave vecchio, though it’s also good roasted. Be careful with it, though, as the spikes are really tender and will fly off all over your kitchen.

You’ll probably be able to find much more out there if you hit the street. Take advantage of this last month of farmers’ markets before most stands fold up for the winter, and let us know what you find.